Frame totalizer



April zo, 1965 Filed July 5, 1961 24er/7.a.

R. ToRREsr-:N 3,179,790

FRAME TOTALIZER 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 2o, 1965 R. TORRESEN FRAME TOTALIZER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L I H I mill United States Patent() 3,179,790' FRAME TOTALIZER Robert Torresen, Muskegon, Mich., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Brunswick Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 5, 1961, Ser. No. 121,888

l 4 Claims. (Cl. 23S-92) t This invention relates toa totalizer, and more particularly to an electrical frame totalizer for automatic pinsetter` installations in bowling alleys.

, A primary object of this" invention is to provide a new and improved totalizer.

Another object` of this` invention is to provide a new and improved frame totalizer for automatic pinsetter installations in bowling alleys. Many modern bowling alley establishments are in con- 'stant operation, twenty-four hours of every day. These establishments usually have a great many bowling alleys, often titty or more, each equipped with `an automatic pinsetter. These pinsetters automatically clear the alley of bowling pins which have been knocked down after the iirst ball of each frame and set ten pins after each frame, AIt is usually very ditiicult for the proprietor of a modern bowling alley `establishment to determine accurately the 4actual use his alleys receive. Even if each pinsetter is provided with an individual counter for recording the number of frames or games bowled, a substantial amount of time is required in reading each of the many counters `and totaling the sum of all the counters. Obviously an accurate,up-to-the-minute count cannot be made of the actual number of frames played on all the alleys when relying on individual counters at each pinsetter because of the time involved in making the count.

`It `isan important object of this invention to provide a new yand improved frame totalizer having a central counter for a plurality of pinsetters.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved frame `totalizer for a plurality of automatic -duration to a central shaping means actuated thereby for feeding consistent signals to the operating coil of a counter for totaling the number of frames bowled on all alleys, whereby the frequency and duration of signals ,received by the counter is reduced to substantially eliminate inaccuracy in the manner of signals received by the counter due to overlapping of the signals.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a diagrammatical View of an electric circiut for a frame totalizer, in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational View of a portion of the frame totalizer; t

Atively long duration for each cycle or AIllini-lin, respectively.

ice

the invention.

While illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and will be described in `detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be` considered as an exempliication of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.`

The invention is, in brief,`directed to a totalizer for a plurality of cycling units, and more particularly `to a frame totalizer for a bowling alley installation having a plurality of automatic pinsetters. Each pinsetter is provided with signal means for producing a signal of relatively long duration after each frame. Steppingfmeans, `one for each signal means, is responsive to a plurality of lthese signals for providing asignal of relatively short duration. Shaping means, in series Withall the stepping means provides a consistent signal responsive to eachV short signal from the stepping means.

Means including a counter for indicating the total` number of frames for all pinsetters has a coil in parallel with the shaping means and energized responsive to each signal from the shaping means for advancing the counter.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, each automatic pinsetter (not shown) in a bowling alley installation is provided with a switch, as switches 10a-10u, the suffix n indicating an indefinite number of pinsetter switches. These switches are preferably of a type described in Huck et al. patent, U.S. 2,949,300, and more particularly switch member 619 therein, and related actuating means for momentarily closing each switch responsive to actua tion of its pinsetter aftereach frame. 'These switches are connected with a suitable source of power, preferably 24 volts A.C., through power lines 11 and 12, thereby deiining signal means providing an electrical signal of relaframe ,of the related pinsetter. s i

Switches ida-10ft are Veach in series i with coils of each switch, `as switch 10a, is fed through the related coil, as coil 13a, of a stepping relay illustrated separately in FIGURES 3 and 4, thereby energizing the coil through a circuit including the respective switch and power line 12. i i p vReferring to FIGURES 3 and 4, each stepping relay has a body 14 with tapped mounting portions 15 for suitably attaching the relay to a control panel. Each coil, as coil 13a, is part of an electro-magnet 16 mounted on body 11i. Each time the related pinsetter switch is .closed the electromagnet i6 is energized and attracts a magnetic ratchet arm 1'7. Arm 17 is pivoted at its lower end on body 14 and pivotally mounts a ratchet pawl 18 Y at its upper end. Pawl 13 is normally maintained retracted from a toothed ratchet wheel 19 by a spiral tension spring Ztl having opposite ends secured to the bottom of `ratchet arm 1'7 and to a depending ear on body 14.

The signal provided upon closing similar parts.

B Ratchet wheel 19 is received between parallel ears 2l of body V14, a-nd is secured to a shaft 22 journaled in these ear-s. One end of shaft 22 extending outwardly from one ofthe ears has secured thereto a cam 23. Each time f electro-magnet i6 is energized ratchet pawl I3 engages toothed ratchet wheel 19 and rotates cam Z3 one step. In the preferred embodiments ratchet wheel 19 has ten teeth and therefore after electro-magnet 16 has been energized ten times cam 23 has made one revolution. Cam 23 has a circular periphery with a notch 24. A cam follower in the form of a protrusion 25 on a leaf spring switch arm 2e, which is mounted at its lower end on an insulated support 27, rides on the circular periphery of cam 23 and once each revolution is received in cam notch 24 momentarily closing a switch having contacts 28, one on spring switch arm 26 and the other on a fixed switch arm 29. In FIGURE l contacts 28 are designated 28a-2811, one for each of the coils 13a-1311, respectively.

Contacts 23a-2811 are connected in parallel with each other 'between'input signal lines 33 and 34 to a commercially available pulse Shaper 35. The pulse shaperfis mounted within a totalizer housing 36, shown in FIG- URE 2. Y Power for operating the pulse shaper circuit is preferably provided by 110 volt A.C. power lines 38 and 39 connected to a transformer 40 also mounted in housing 35. Any suitable voltage may be used, and in the illustrated embodiment the transformer delivers 21 volts to the pulse Shaper 3S. The output'signal from pulse Shaper 35 passes through output signal lines 42 and 43 to operating coils 44 and 45 of suitable counters 44 and 45', respectively, within housing 36.

Each signal from switches 16a-1011 to respective stepf ping relay coils 13a-1311 is approximately three seconds each. Ten such signals to any one relay coil, as coil 13a,

cause-s the related contacts, as 28a, to close and feed an Y input signal of one of three milliseconds through input signal lines 33 and 34 to pulse Shaper 35. Thus, the frequency of .signals from each pinsetter switch is reduced one tenth by the stepping relay, and the duration of the signal from the stepping relay is about one thousandth the duration of the signal from the pinsetter switch, so that the signal load on the pulse shaper is a ten thousandth of the signal load from each pinsetter switch. The pulse Shaper provides a preferred consi-stent operating signal for the counter coils 44 and 45. For example, in the present embodiment the counter requires an eight to twelve millisecond operating pulse, and with an eight millisecond drop out period, a total of sixteen to twenty milliseconds is utilized each time the counter is actuated.

received by the operating coils 44 and 45 of the counters is, therefore, substantially reduced.

FIGURE 5 illustrates another embodiment of the totalizer in which similar reference characters primed indicate Illustration of the yconnections between relay coils 13d-13u and the pinsetter switches, as Mialtln, shown in the embodiment of FIGURE l, have been omitted to simplify the drawing. The function of the stepping relays, and signal frequency and duration is generally the same as that previously described. In the pres- Y .relay coil S4) is energized by current less than that required to actuate the relay and a condenser is charged Vthrough Va resistor 56 in parallel with coil 54. Upon opening of the relay switch, as switch 28a', condenser 55 discharges Ia current of controlled amperage and duration through coil 54 to actuate the relay, and through a re- (if, sistor 57 inparallel with the coil. Actuation of the pulse relay coil 54 closes pulse relay switch or contact 5S a controlled length of time to provide consistent signals each energizing operating coils V60 `and 61 of suitable counters, a-s previously described. The pulse shaper provides the required signal for counter operating coils et? and 6l, preferably a l2 millisecond signal in the present embodiment.

In either embodiment two counters, as 44 and 45 are preferably provided. One is readily accessible and visible in a location removed from the automatic pinsetters, as in an office, and the other is maintained concealed under a locked cover of housing 36; Both counters may be provided with suitable reset devices, and concealed counter 45' is so installed as to prevent tampering. If only one counter is desired the omittedcounter coily may be replaced in the circuit by a suitable resistor. Proper balancing of the circuits depends on the characteristics of the major components and will be obvious to one skilled in the art.

The totalizer provides tens of frames or approximate lines (games). A conversion factor -gives an accurate ,count of games, A zero on the counter housing at the right-hand side of the counter numbers may be provided to convert the games counted to frames.

I claim:

l. A frame totalizer for a bowling alley installation having a plurality of automatic pinsetters, comprising: switch means one for each pinsetter, momentarily closing and providing an electric signal of a relatively long duration following each frame; stepping relays, each having a coil, one coil in series circuit with each switch means; each coil having a switch, operatively associated therewith and actuated once in response to ten signals from the respective switch means for providing a signal of short duration relative to the duration of the signal produced by the respective switch means, said switches being in parallel; shaping means in series with said switches forproviding consistent signals, one responsive to each relatively short signal from said stepping relay coils; and a counter having an operating coil in circuit with said shaping means and responsive to the signals therefrom for totaling the number of tens of frames bowled on all the alleys, whereby the frequency and duration of the signals received by the counter are substantially less than that provided by the pinsetter switch means to reduce inaccuracy of number of signals received by the counter due to overlapping of the signals.

2. The totalizer of claim 1, wherein said shaping means includes a capacitor and a relay having contacts in circuit rwith the counter operating coil, anda coil energized in response to discharge of the capacitor to close said contacts a limited period of time to provide said consistent signal.

3. A frame totalizer for a bowling alley installation having a plurality of automatic pinsetters, comprising: signal means, one for each pinsetter, providing'an electric signal of .a relatively long duration following each frame; stepping relays, one in circuit with each signal means and each responsive to a plurality of 4signals from the respective signal means for providing a signal of short duration relative to the duration of the signal produced by the respective signal means; shaping means in circuit with all stepping relays for providing consistent signals, one responsive to each signal from said stepping relays; and a counter having an operating coil in circuit with said shaping means and responsive to the signals therefrom for totaling the number of signals from all the stepping means, whereby the frequency and duration of the signals received by the counter is substantially less than that provided by the signal means to reduce inaccuracy of number ofsignals received by the counter due to overlapping of the signals.

4. A frame totalizer for a bowling alley installation having a plurality of automatic pinsetters, comprising: signal means, one for each pinsetter, for providing an electric signal after each frame, signal frequency and duration reducing means, one for each signal means and each responsive to a predetermined number of signals from the respective signal means for providing a single signal of short duration relative to the duration of the signal produced by the respective signal means; shaping means for providing consistent signals, one responsive to each signal from al1 signal reducing means; and a counter responsive to the signals from said shaping means for totaling the number of signals from all the signal reducing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Troutman 23S- 92 Troutman 235-92 Troutman 235-92 Becktol 235--92 Dinsmore 235--92 Millman et al. 235--92 10 MALCOLM A. MORRISON, Primm Examiner.

W. W. BURNS, IR., Examiner. 

1. A FRAME TOTALIZER FOR A BOWLING ALLEY INSTALLATION HAVING A PLURALITY OF AUTOMATIC PINSETTERS, COMPRISING: SWITCH MEANS ONE FOR EACH PINSETTER, MOMENTARILY CLOSING AND PROVIDING AN ELECTRIC SIGNAL OF A RELATIVELY LONG DURATION FOLLOWING EACH FRAME; STEPPING RELAYS, EACH HAVING A COIL, ONE COIL IN SERIES CIRCUIT WITH EACH SWITCH MEANS; EACH COIL HAVING A SWITCH, OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED THEREWITH AND ACTUATED ONCE IN RESPONSE TO TEN SIGNALS FROM THE RESPECTIVE SWITCH MEANS FOR PROVIDING A SIGNAL OF SHORT DURATION RELATIVE TO THE DURATION OF THE SIGNAL PRODUCED BY THE RESPECTIVE SWITCH MEANS, SAID SWITCHES BEING IN PARALLEL; SHAPING MEANS IN SERIES WITH SAID SWITCHES FOR PROVIDING CONSISTENT SIGNALS, ONE RESPONSIVE TO EACH RELATIVELY SHORT SIGNAL FROM SAID STEPPING RELAY COILS; AND A COUNTER HAVING AN OPERATING COIL IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID SHAPING MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO THE SIGNALS THEREFROM FOR TOTALING THE NUMBER OF TENS OF FRAMES BOWLED ON ALL THE ALLEYS, WHEREBY THE FREQUENCY AND DURATION OF THE SIGNALS RECEIVED BY THE COUNTER ARE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THAT PROVIDED BY THE PINSETTER SWITCH MEANS TO REDUCE INACCURACY OF NUMBER OF SIGNALS RECEIVED BY THE COUNTER DUE TO OVERLAPPING OF THE SIGNALS. 